Solar Based Energy Solution for Zero-Carbon Transportation

Electrocatalytically converting CO2 into value-added transportation fuels, driven by solar derived electricity, can not only tackle global warming by reducing the green-house gases and utilizing the renewable energy, but also bring a great economic benefit. However, the current electrocatalytic technology suffers from an unsatisfied productivity of multi-carbon chemicals, as building blocks for large fuel molecules, and hence weakens its large-scale commercialization potential. The Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC) spearheads, designs, and launches technology and commercialization projects that advance next-generation mobility and transportation technologies across Canada. They team with the Waterloo Engineering researchers in developing novel catalysts and flow reactors to increase the production rates of C1 and C2+ chemicals, with the ultimate goal of producing solar derived fuels for transportation. Three interns are supported by this project and will perform specified tasks in development of a novel photo-augmented electrocatalytic CO2 reduction technology, design of a large-scale catalytic flow reactor, and studies of the combustion and emission properties of the derived fuel.

Faculty Supervisor:

John Wen;Yimin Wu

Student:

Cheng Du;Cheolhee Shin

Partner:

Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

University:

University of Waterloo

Program: